


Helping Beak

by matrixrefugee



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Community: fic_promptly, Crack, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 14:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17448512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matrixrefugee/pseuds/matrixrefugee
Summary: The Torchwood team finds a newcomer in Myfanwy's nest...





	Helping Beak

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](https://fic-promptly.dreamwidth.org/profile)[fic_promptly](https://fic-promptly.dreamwidth.org/)'s [Torchwood, Myfanwy acquires a pet.](http://fic-promptly.dreamwidth.org/354286.html?thread=11997934#cmt11997934)

" _Ku-roo... ku-roo... ku-roo..._ " A soft, crooning noise could be heard coming from the rafters in the Hub that morning, accompanied by some cheery chittering from Myfanwy.

"Someone must have found a snack she likes," Owen noted, looking toward the ceiling. "Pigeons must've gotten inside again."

"Doesn't sound like she's snacking: the cooing's not stopping," Ianto said, putting a cup of coffee on Owen's desk.

"Well, that's not a creepy deduction," Owen said, taking up the cup.

"If she's not eating them, what could she be doing with a pigeon?" Gwen asked, curious, taking a second cup from Ianto.

"Want me to go up to her coop and see what she's up to?" Jack said, from the catwalk outside of Owen and Toshiko's offices.

"It's better if I go and take a look: she's less likely to get territorial," Ianto said. "Wouldn't mind some back up, though."

"You know you can count on me to back you up," Jack said, with a cheeky grin and a lilt that got an amused eye-roll from Gwen.

A few minutes later, Ianto and Jack clambered up the web of ladders and catwalks leading to the nook where Myfanwy roosted. Deep in the hollow space, they found Myfanwy perched in her odd nest woven of wires, shredded paper and a few chewed pillows, something perched on her shoulder. As they got closer, they realized a pigeon had taken up roost on their unofficial mascot's shoulder, preening the larger creature's rudimentary feathers.

"Hum. Seems she's made a little friend," Ianto said, Jack coming up beside him on the catwalk.

"Oxbirds," Jack noted. "Reminds me of oxbirds." Myfanwy looked up, emitting a soft but clearly defensive squirk of warning. The pigeon, slightly alarmed by the disturbance, moved to the pterosaur's opposite shoulder, yet resumed preening Myfanwy.

"Oxbirds? Some species you saw on another planet?" Ianto asked.

"Nope, very close to home: they're smallish birds that climb around on gazelles and cattle and any other herbivores they find on the African savannah. They feed on the fleas and ticks that get into the larger animals' coats, but it looks like this pigeon took issue with how it's older and much larger ancestor keeps her feathers," Jack said.

"And it looks like Myfanwy is taking issue with us watching her get a make-over," Ianto said, starting back down the ladder, Jack following him down before the pterosaur could make a move to scoot the humans out.


End file.
